The History of Australian Exploration from 1788 to 1888 | Page 6

nearer solving the secret of the Southern Seas, and, in fact,
reports sighting hills to the southward, which--on slight foundation--are
supposed to have been the present Cape York, but more probably were
the higher lands of Prince of Wales Island. In all likelihood he saw
enough of the natives of the Straits to convince him that no such rich
pickings were to be had, as had fallen to the lot of the lucky conquerors
of Mexico and Peru. He came across none of the legendary canoes from
the land of gold, deep laden with the precious metal, nor sandy beaches
strewn with jewels, to be had for the gathering. He puts on record what
he thought of the islanders in the few terse words, that they were "black,
naked and corpulent," beyond that, they do not seem to have impressed
him.
Apparently they, on their part, were not impressed at being informed
that they were thenceforth subjects of the King of Spain, for their

dislike to Europeans appears to have increased as the unfortunate Dutch
captains, Carstens and Poole, afterwards found to their cost. Even the
gracious act of His Holiness the Pope in partitioning these unknown
lands between Spain and Portugal did not meet with the favourable
consideration at their hands that it deserved.
The jealousy with which the maritime nations of Europe guarded their
discoveries from each other has been the means of putting great
difficulties in the way of tracing out the early traditions of the great
South Land. The domineering Spaniard looked upon the Portugese
navigator as a formidable rival in the race for trade; and the sturdy
Hollander they regarded as a natural enemy and a rebel. The generous
emulation of fellow-workers in the cause of scientific discovery was
unknown, and the secrets of the sea were scrupulously kept.
On behalf of Dutch reticence, it may be said that the cause of the
merited hatred they bore to Spain was still too fresh in their memory to
allow them to divulge anything that might possibly benefit a Spaniard.
Sir William Temple, ambassador at the Hague in the time of Charles II.,
gives it as his opinion that "a southern continent has long since been
found out." He avers that, according to descriptions he has gathered, "it
is as long as Java, and is marked on the maps by the name of New
Holland, but to what extent the land extends either to the south, the east,
or the west, none know." He states, that he has heard it said among the
Dutch that their East India Company "have long since forbidden, and
under the greatest penalties, any further attempts at discovering that
continent, having already more trade than they can turn to account, and
fearing some more populous nation of Europe might make great
establishments of trade in some of these unknown regions, which might
ruin or impair what they already have in the Indies."
But although no documentary evidence has been brought to light,
proving beyond all doubt the certain discovery of the South Land in the
sixteenth century, we find on the old charts of the world various
tracings indicating a knowledge of the existence of this continent,
which would appear to have been derived from other than fabulous
sources.

A shadowy claim to the honour of being the first discoverer of Terra
Australis has been advanced on behalf of the Frenchman Gonneville,
who sailed from Honfleur in 1503, on a voyage to the East Indies. He is
said to have doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and being driven by
stress of weather into an unknown sea, found a land inhabited by
friendly people, with whom he stayed some time, being accompanied
back to France by one of the king's sons who was desirous of studying
the precepts of Christianity. The general belief, however, is that it was
probably Madagascar whereon De Gonneville landed.
Another claim, based upon the authority of an ancient map, is put
forward for the noted Portugese navigator Magalhaens, when in the
service of the Emperor Charles V. of Spain; but there is little
appertaining to the arguments advanced on behalf of this belief to
render it credible.
In some of the old charts, dating back to the middle of the sixteenth
century, a large country south of Java is portrayed, which from its
position appears to be intended for the conjectural South Land. In all
these maps the outlines of this TERRA INCOGNITA are so nearly
identical that it is evident various hydrographers drew their inspirations
from the same sources. The annexed tracing is a copy of a portion of
one of the most ancient of these maps; the original was presented to the
British Museum by Sir Joseph Banks in 1790. It is most carefully
drawn, the coast